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Devising a roadmap to the digital workplace

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There’s a big difference between understanding the need for change and being able to proactively drive it. Nowhere is that idea better showcased than in business IT.

The C-Suite of most companies is aware of the opportunities out there in the market, such as the proliferation of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), remote working, new app and solution adoption, and different ways of communicating. They are also aware that, while many of their competitors are taking advantage of these innovations, progress within their own business isn’t happening at the rate they expect.

Naturally, the responsibility for change rests with the CIO. But with so much else on your plate, it’s hard to find the time and resource to drive change as you might want to.

We understand that CIOs can’t manage change without an organisation that is receptive to it. Or people around them that understand the challenges they face. That’s why we’re committed to working with you to make change happen and deliver on what your C-suite is expecting.

Engaging your workforce

Because technology use transcends role, seniority and department, digital transformation affects every single person in a given business. So whether your organisation is at the beginning, or in the middle, of a change programme, you as CIO face the task of managing up, down and sideways.

Without an engaged workforce, your digital transformation job is much harder than it needs to be. However it’s unfortunately true that you might well find that not everyone is as enthusiastic about transformation as those driving it.

‘Selling’ change to sceptical staff is not easy, and perhaps not always the best plan of action. Instead it’s worth communicating the cultural benefits of a digital workplace (for instance, better remote working means that parents within the business get to spend more time with their kids). Or using something like a fun gamification strategy (such as a 30-day usage challenge for a new tool) to maximise take up and get employees on board with change and new technology.

This is where your colleagues in HR can get involved, with pro-active communications that make a positive case for change – as Belinda Macaulay-Hick has recently discussed in her blog on HR’s role in transformation.

Planning for change

Having worked with CIOs across a variety of industry for years, Avanade understands the checklist you might be presented with at the start of a digital transformation project. Systems demanded may include (but are by no means limited to) data driven insights, cloud computing, improved mobility and the Internet of Things. And that’s just the strategic part. At the same time, there’s keeping the lights on – ensuring that existing systems and infrastructure continue to work and support the business while change is happening.

Without a thorough plan this is next to impossible and Avanade recommends the creation of a digital roadmap to support the transformation. A digital transformation roadmap is not only something to guide you and your colleagues through a change programme. It’s also a way to ensure that the value predicted is being delivered, and to refer back to the business case for whatever transformation is taking place.

Experience is crucial when creating a roadmap for transformation. So it’s always a good idea to work with your suppliers and partners on a plan that works for you.

Implementing change

Even with a signed off transformation project, engaged staff and a detailed roadmap there will almost certainly be blockers and barriers along the way.

When working with CIOs managing digital change, Avanade can be there for every step, and every misstep, whether it is communicating the benefits of change and installing new tools, to delivering them to staff with minimum disruption and maximum security. Avanade has unique assets for capturing data about how users work together to help understand priority areas for change activities and measuring the value of change in business metrics.

For Avanade it’s all about helping you to become the strategic leader your business needs. See how we’ve been helping the likes of Henkel and Williams Martini Racing do this on our website.

Discover how CIOs can be true agents of business change and embrace the digital workplace in Avanade’s new Digital Workplace report, which you can download here.

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